Under Weathered--A TFP Story
by BBPRIMEFAN101
Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.
1. Chapter 1

"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

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><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

**Transformers © Hasbro**

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

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><p>It probably doesn't need saying, but the Decepticons were at it again. They were after one of the few largest untapped Energon deposits—sitting at the bottom of a frozen sea in the bitter Arctic. Starscream led his Seekers towards its location, and Team Prime was racing right behind them with Optimus Prime leading them through the blizzard.<p>

"Ugh, this snow is so thick I can't see past my own bumper!" exclaimed Bulkhead.

"You're complaining?! At least you can _transform_!" Lily shouted over the wind. "And this icy wind is throwing off my hover-board!"

"They have a right to complain, Optimus," Ratchet said via the COM-link. "Your core temperatures are approaching the blue zone at a casual rate. You know to retreat once your alarms go off?"

"Understood, Ratchet. Hang in there, everyone," Optimus said. "We almost have them in our sights!"

A blaster suddenly struck Lily from behind, knocking her over and skidding across the ice. "No! _We_ have _you_ in _our_ sights!" The Autobots all stopped and transformed to see Starscream and a few Seekers fly over their heads then transform only a few yards in front of them. Optimus helped Lily get to her feet and they all pointed their blasters at the Decepticons blocking their path to the Energon deposit.

"I believe the human term is, 'You want it? You will have to go through us'," Starscream sneered.

"Not a problem with me!" Lily glared and snapped hatefully, but Optimus held her back.

"Surrender, Starscream, hand over the Energon, and you will be spared," he ordered.

The Decepticon's 1st Lieutenant laughed. "You must be joking! I'll never surrender to _you_, Optimus Prime! Seekers, destroy them!" At Starscream's order, the Seekers beside him charged up their blasters and fired while Starscream headed off where the rest of the Seekers were excavating the frozen Energon deposit.

Lily was about to go after him herself but Optimus told her to stay. "I will handle Starscream! You and the others keep the Seekers off of me!" Lily reluctantly agreed to his terms and watched her father take off after the lean, heeled Decepticon.

While Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, and Lily handled the Seekers, Optimus charged after Starscream, transforming into his vehicle mode. He managed to ram the nose of the truck into him, but it didn't run him down. Starscream quickly jumped off and transformed into his jet-form, taking off into the snowy wind. The snow was too thick; Optimus transformed back into his biped form, unable to see where he had gone.

Then blasters suddenly appeared from the snow blizzard, directly at Optimus. The Prime managed to barely avoid them and looked up to see Starscream flying low and continuing to fire. He circled above Prime's head, blasting numerous shots near him, but not directly at him. While Optimus pondered, he suddenly felt the ice beneath his feet starting to give, and water began to trickle through the cracks. Before he could move, the ice broke, and Optimus plunged into the icy sea.

Starscream laughed. "Have a nice swim, Prime!"

Lily glanced over and saw Starscream hovering over the ice, and Optimus was nowhere to be seen. "Father!" she cried, and the others followed her gaze to see their leader missing. Lily angrily fired at Starscream, striking one of his wings, causing him to spiral out of control and crash into the ice.

Starscream groaned angrily and wearily looked up to see Team Prime charging straight for him. "Decepticons! Scavenge what Energon you have and retreat!" He then contacted the warship for an emergency ground-bridge; once one appeared, he and his Seekers jumped through it with whatever amount of Energon they managed to take.

Once the bridge closed, the team raced over to the watering hole in the ice. "Optimus!" they cried, yet neither heard nor saw a response.

Then they felt heavy pounding under the ice, coming from the shore. As they followed the vibrations, the shallow ice shattered as a massive fist broke through it, and out popped a violently shivering Prime—toting a large amount of the Energon Starscream and his Seekers tried to pillage.

"Father!" Lily exclaimed as she and Bumblebee and ran to him; while she scanned him to see if any internal damage had already been done, Bumblebee took the Energon into his own hands so Prime wouldn't have to carry it.

"Arcee to base. Ratchet, we need a bridge to Jasper's desert," Arcee explained as calmly as she could. "And fast! Optimus is in danger of freezing up completely!"

"Understood!" Ratchet replied, and within seconds a bridge appeared for them.

"Come on!" Bulkhead yelled over the wind as they helped the quickly-frosting Prime through the bridge out of the deadly blizzard and into the blaring heat of the sun.

"Lay him down!" Arcee said, and they slowly laid him down so his body could thaw. After a while, the sun's heat melted away the nearly-frozen Prime, but his core temperature was still freezing, causing him to continue shivering. "Easy, Optimus," Arcee said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He was thawed, but still cold to the touch.

"I-I-I...am alr-r-right," Optimus stuttered, his speech being affected from the shivers. They stayed out in the baking heat for another 5 minutes, waiting for Optimus to cease shivering, before requesting a bridge to base. They all couldn't help but crack a smile when they heard their leader sigh of relief as the Earth's sun warmed up his body. Once they arrived, Ratchet immediately began connecting tubes to his body, trying to thaw out the rest of his systems.

"You took a major risk trying to salvage that Energon, Prime," the medic said, looking to the massive fragment Optimus carried out of the frozen water. "You nearly froze every system in your chassis. I am surprised you didn't freeze up when you were underwater that long."

"That's why he's Prime," said Lily, smiling as she held one of her father's hands. "He can take on just about anything!"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean he's invulnerable."

"Ratchet, I am fine," Optimus assured him, trying to stand up, but Ratchet stopped him and forced him back onto the medical berth.

"You say so, now, but for all we know, the bits of your body that the sun's heat couldn't reach could still be consumed in ice," Ratchet informed him.

"Is his core temperature stabilized?" asked Bulkhead.

Ratchet checked the monitor that revealed Prime's vitals. "Yes, but—"

"Then he should be fine, right?"

"Yes, but—"

"But, what?"

"There could be things wrong that we haven't checked yet, that's _what_, Bulkhead!" Ratchet exclaimed.

Optimus sighed and stood up, disconnecting the tubes attached to his body. "I feel fine, Ratchet. You need not worry. I will report to you the second I feel something isn't right."

Ratchet grumbled to himself before replying, "Very well. But you need to get some rest. Doc's orders."

Optimus gave a nod and headed off towards his quarters, unaware of the worried looks on his teammates' faces, laying down on his berth and instantly slipping into recharge.

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><p><strong>End of part 1... <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

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><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

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><p><strong>Transformers © Hasbro<strong>

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

**(I know, this chapter is super short. I couldn't think of anything else!)**

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><p>"YOU HAVE FAILED ME AGAIN!" Megatron roared as he roughly backhanded Starscream.<p>

The Decepticons' 1st Lieutenant struggled to keep his footing as he spiraled backwards, yelling in pain from the strike. "But, Lord Megatron-!" He was silenced as the furious warlord grabbed him by his face.

"I give the easiest task possible, and you couldn't even accomplish that!"

Starscream staggered backwards and tried to regain his balance. "Um...i-n my defense, Lord Megatron, collecting Energon is not the _easiest_ task possible, but—"

"SHUT IT!" Megatron bellowed as he kicked and pressed him into the floor with his foot. "Our Energon levels are at a critical low, and since our ship is unable to go airborne, we have no means in collecting any more of it!"

Starscream groaned under his master's weight. "Then why don't we try and find a different fuel source?!"

"Such as...?" Megatron said.

"I don't know! Soundwave, search up all of this rock's natural sources of energy," Starscream ordered. Soundwave did so and multiple files appeared on the monitor. One of them displayed a large plantation sitting in the middle of the ocean, and another showed a mine filled with red crystals.

Megatron released Starscream and read one of the files. "The ruby crystals of Burma." He pondered for a moment. "Intriguing, I must say. Whoever knew that this rock could have other means of obtaining energy? With enough of these crystals, we will be able to reactivate the ship, and resume with our plans to eradicate the Autobots and conquer this planet!"

"You're welcome," Starscream muttered, hugging the wound of his clipped wing, and left the control center grumbling.


	3. Chapter 3

"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

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><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

**Transformers © Hasbro**

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

**(hoooo boy. This is where my fetish begins. I am normally a bit shy in writing this kind of stuff, but I know I gotta do it. Please do not hate me or think me weird for what I may do. And no flames, please)**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

The following morning, Optimus still felt very exhausted when he emerged from recharge. He had gotten plenty of rest like he told his teammates. So why did he feel like he hadn't slept at all? Groggily, he sat up groaning, and right away he sensed something off. He couldn't explain it. It just didn't...feel right. As he took a deep breath in, he noticed it took him a while to do so and an irritable itch buzzed throughout his airways. As he looked around, the light hurt his optics a little, and it was a dim light. He noticed a faint, funny taste in the back of his throat, and when he tried to stand up, it was as though something was forcing him to sit back down. Groaning, he pushed himself onto his feet and wearily rubbed his eyes. He suddenly felt a tickle in his throat and he unintentionally coughed into his hand—and looked down to see a think, Energon-blue slime covering some of his palm. Bewildered by this, but not wanting to worry his friends, he merely wiped it away, ignored the stuffiness in his chest and headed out to join the rest of the members of Team Prime.

Ratchet, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee and Lily were all conversing in the control center before Optimus entered. "How do you mean, funny, Lily?" Ratchet asked the youngest Autobot.

"I mean, I woke up feeling funny in my spark, but the rest of me is fine," Lily explained.

Ratchet scanned her. "Your vitals are perfectly normal," he confirmed. "There shouldn't be anything wrong with you."

"I know. That's what I'm worried about."

Then they noticed their leader enter. "Good morning, Optimus," said Ratchet.

"Good morning, Ratchet," Optimus replied with a faint smile.

"_How are you feeling, sir?" _Bumblebee bleeped.

"I am fine, Bumblebee. Thank you for asking."

"You're up late," Arcee pointed out.

Optimus let out a chuckle. "Yes, I know. I must have recharged a little longer than intended. I never knew I was so exhausted."

"Well, nearly freezing yourself will do that to you," Bulkhead chuckled.

"Are you alright, Papa?" Lily asked.

Optimus glanced down at her to reply, but he stopped when he noticed the suspicious look on her face. He knew that look too well. It meant she knew something. He did his best to hide it. "Yes, I am fine, Lily. Why do you ask?"

Lily shrugged. "Don't know. You just sound kind of...nasally, this morning. And I woke up with an odd feeling in my spark."

"Did you?" Prime raised an optic ridge to show his own suspicion, but the expression on Lily's face was much dominant than his own. He sighed, and doing so, a tickle crept in his throat again. He fought a cough and told his Autobots, "I assure you all, I am fine. If something was wrong, I would've gone to Ratchet like I said I would last night."

The others kept their gazes on him, making him feel uneasy. That, or it was being on his feet too long. He felt the Energon slime dripping in the back of his throat and he felt disgusted to swallow it. The itch in his airways grew a little more, and he covered his sudden huff with another sigh and stared at the floor.

"Prime!"

The Autobots all turned towards the monitor to see Special Agent William Fowler appear on the screen. "What is it, Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked.

Before he could reply, Fowler backtracked and blinked a few times. "Whoa, Prime, what's up with your voice? You got a bug or something?"

"No, Agent Fowler, I have not. I am still recovering after being exposed to freezing temperatures in Arctic waters. Now, why have you contacted us?"

"What do you think? The Cons are up to something—on the other side of the globe!" Fowler pulled up an image of a large mine with several carts filled with red glowing crystals. "They've hit the ruby crystal mines of Burma."

"Why would they be searching for that and not Energon?" asked Arcee.

"Because we keep taking it," Lily replied with a proud grin.

"But if they suck that mine dry, the citizens of Burma won't be able to use the crystals to trade for money and buy food," explained Fowler. "They will all starve!"

Optimus gave his head a nod, and regretted it instantly as a slight ache surged through his mind-processor, but he dared not let his pain show. "Understood, Agent Fowler. Ratchet, lock onto the coordinates and activate the ground-bridge."

Ratchet locked in the same coordinates to Decepticons used and pulled the lever, activating the ground bridge.

Optimus was normally capable of staring directly into the swirling vortex as the sudden flash of light appeared, but today, the brightness stung his optics; he blinked rapidly and let out a very faint groan, fighting the urge to look away and shield his eyes. He only hoped to Primus that none of his Autobots noticed. And for an odd reason, the light of the ground-bridge urged the tingly itch in his airways even more, but he managed to keep it down for now.

"Autobots, roll out!" Prime exclaimed in his 'nasally voice', and they all (except Ratchet, of course) raced through the ground-bridge. On the other side, they landed in the middle of a wet grassland with surrounding mountains and forests. The mountain peaks vanished in the fog, and despite the humid air, a chilling wind blow through, cold enough to make even the Autobots shiver a little.

Optimus had to fight a shiver that attempted to rattle his body. The humidity was not helping with his growing mind processor-ache; his forehead was beginning to condensate, and his breathing became deeper and heavier. He wanted to retract his battle mask so he could breathe just a little easier, but he was afraid his teammates and daughter would notice the flush he felt spreading across his cheek plates. With each warm breath of air he sucked in, the thick Energon-slime collecting in his throat loosened and dripped, filling his mouth. He felt sick to swallow it, but he had no choice. The tingling grew in his airways, causing him to slightly huff; he held his breath until the tingle died down before turning towards his Autobots. "Proceed with caution," he said as clearly as he could. They all morphed their servos into their weapons and approached the mountainside, where a path had already been dug in by the humans. They transformed into their vehicle modes, while Lily activated her hover-board, and they drive through the tunnel, in search for Megatron and the Decepticons.

The further they drove, the colder and damper the mine became. Chilling to the others, but irritable to Optimus. As he took in the cold air, it only urged his need to cough even more, and the itching, tingling feeling suddenly returned in his airways.

Optimus suddenly jolted to a halt, and the others screeched to a stop so they wouldn't crash; but they slammed on their brakes too late, and they began to pile up and ram each other. Groaning and grumbling, they all transformed into their biped modes and helped each other get to their feet.

"Is everyone alright?" Optimus asked.

"We're good," said Bulkhead, rubbing his helm.

"Why'd you suddenly slam on the brakes?" Lily asked, resting a hand on her hip.

"Apologies. I believe the dampness of this mine is affecting my circuitry a little," Optimus said, hoping they wouldn't sniff out the lie and comment on the loud exhalation he had released.

"You almost sounded like you were in pain. And I've never heard of damp air doing that."

"Never mind it, anyhow. We must return to our mission." Optimus then turned away from his teammates and headed down the tunnel. The other Autobots gave one another quick glances of suspicion and concern, but they kept their thoughts to themselves and followed Optimus further into the mine.

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><p>Megatron stood at the top of the cavern where a few Decepticons loaded more crystals into large cube-shaped containers, placed them into a pile and transported them onto the warship. As expected, he could hear the sound of blasters echoing throughout the mine. He grinned; his opponents had arrived.<p>

"Megatron!"

The tyrant glared down to see the Autobots run into the cavern. Optimus pointed his blade towards him and glared. "Surrender...and leave this mine! If you rob these crystals of the townspeople, they will all perish!"

Megatron chuckled. "What makes you think I care about the fleshlings, Prime? And I must ask, what is the matter with your voice? You sound like you are speaking through water!" He began guffawing, and Optimus glared while mentally rolling his eyes. "But enough of that," said Megatron. "Decepticons, take care of the Autobots! I will handle Optimus Prime myself." The Decepticons did as their leader commanded jumped down and dealt with Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Lily, while Megatron and Optimus dueled in another part of the cavern."What's the matter, Prime? You seem a little slower today," Megatron mocked.

Optimus was, in fact, fighting much slower than he used to. With every swing he threw, Optimus felt like he was lifting a Dinobot with one hand. The congestion in his airways was making it difficult for him to breathe, and his intakes itched like crazy! He fought a cough as the fight went on, yet all the movement was making him dizzy; or was it the hot flashes he felt surge through his body. His mind-processor ached like mad, and the tingle had inched its way up his throat and buzzed in his head. Now distracted and groaning agitatedly, Megatron laid one on him, and he went flying across the cavern, and even smashed through the wall.

"Father!" Lily cried as she and the Autobots raced out of the cavern through the new hole, not caring if the Cons were behind them.

Optimus struggled to get to his knees. He shivered as the cool breeze swept over him and swayed the wet grass along his body, tickling him a little. But the humidity was still there. Unable to breathe, he retracted his battle mask and wearily got to his feet.

"Well, well. You are not much of a fight today, are you, Prime?" Megatron sneered as he kicked Optimus back. The Prime stumbled a little before regaining his footing. He noticed Megatron swinging his blade down upon him, so he blocked and held it back with what strength his aching body provided. They both shoved each other back and drew closer together, glaring.

Another chilling gust of wind blew through, washing droplets onto the both of them. Megatron paid no mind to them—but to Optimus, they irritated them like the feeling of a lost strand of hair sitting somewhere on a human. Some droplets settled on his air vents; in his current position, he couldn't wipe them away. The feeling of the cold droplets sliding down the opening and into the vent, slowly creeping along...it tickled beyond belief. The tingling was overwhelming, and out of Optimus's control.

"_Hah...haah...Hack'shuuh!_"

_*SPLAT! CLANG!*_

The Autobots and Decepticons all stood there in shock, and a bit of disgust, as Energon flew from Optimus's mouth and splattered all over Megatron's face plate. That, and their helms collided with a CLANG! Megatron stumbled back a little, slightly dazed by the hit, then he fell onto his back and laid there, knocked out. Even Optimus stood there baffled at what just happened.

The Decepticons raced over towards their leader and helped him to his feet. "Soundwave, requesting a bridge!" A ground-bridge appeared and a few of the Cons toted Megatron through. "This isn't over, Autobots!" yelled the same Con before heading through the bridge as it closed.

Optimus sighed as he wiped away a dribble of Energon from his mouth, then he coughed. Oh, it felt good to get that tickle out of his throat! But he could feel the glares of his teammates and cautiously faced them.

They could see he was beginning to feel miserable. It was official.

It was time to head back to base.

And face the medic's wrath.

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><p><strong>Prime is SO busted! Now he has to answer to Ratchet.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

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><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

**Transformers © Hasbro**

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

**(no flames, please)**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

"So...what exactly happened?" Starscream asked the line of Decepticons while the medic team tended to Megatron, who was still unconscious.

"Megatron and Optimus Prime were fighting, when suddenly, Optimus did...something, and Energon went all over Megatron's face," explained one Con.

"And they clashed heads," added another. "It was a loud bang! It must've been a heavy hit to knock out even _Megatron_."

"Indeed," Starscream murmured. "And when Optimus...ejected Energon onto Megatron...you mean, he purged?"

"No, no, not like that," said a third Decepticon. "Something else. And we all noticed the Prime was fighting much slower than he used to."

Starscream raised an optic ridge. "Hmm. That is rather strange. But the Prime defeated Megatron, nonetheless. But onto more concerning matters. Due to the Autobots' interference, we've only gathered enough ruby crystals to power up one of the ship's engines. We must rely upon another natural source of energy."

Soundwave then pulled up the second file from earlier. Starscream read it aloud. "_The Berkut oil rig off of the Russian Pacific coast...the largest oil rig in the world up to date_...Well, humans use this oil to get around in their vehicles, as well for medicine and other things. But now, the _Berkut_ belongs to us..."

In the sickbay, Megatron finally came back online.

"Rise and shine," said Knock Out. "You took a pretty nasty hit, my liege. But the good news is, minimal damage had been done. But I recommend you stay on that berth for the remainder of the day just to be safe."

Megatron slowly arose from the berth, rubbing the sore spot on his helm. "How long was I out?"

"Only a few hours."

"It feels much longer," the tyrant moaned as he sat upright. "And what was it Optimus...sprayed me with?"

"You mean this?" Knock Out held up a container of the thick Energon-slime and Megatron nodded. "I do not quite know yet, Lord Megatron, but after taking a peek under the microscope, I've noticed very microscopic things within the sludge."

"You mean, a virus?" Megatron asked.

"Possibly, but I will not know until further study," Knock Out explained.

"Make haste, then." Megatron rubbed his temple. "I am beginning to believe that this processor-ache is not from the 'head-on' collision alone."

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><p>As they stepped through the ground-bridge, Bulkhead helped lug Optimus through, just in case the Prime decided to face-plant. All the way through, the sound of the swirling portal caused Optimus's mind processor-ache to grow, and he moaned agitatedly. Things couldn't get any worse.<p>

Optimus stood corrected, for when they arrived back at base, a fuming Ratchet awaited them. The human children were present, as well. _Oh, slag,_ he thought. _They must see me like this, too?! _The medic angrily pointed to the berth in their sickbay. "Sit. Now." Optimus had no chance of standing against Ratchet at that moment, so he obeyed without saying a word, only a weary groan as he sat down.

"Optimus, are you alright?" asked Jack as they all glanced up at the leader of the Autobots with concern.

"You look like you had way too many shots," Miko joked and Kylie nudged her.

Optimus sighed. "I am alright, Jack," he said.

"Really? You sound like you've got something stuck in your throat," said Miko.

"What. Happened?" Ratchet spoke slowly, angrily.

"We don't really know ourselves," said Bulkhead.

"Megatron and Optimus were fighting when suddenly Optimus..." started Arcee.

While they were talking, the irritable tingly feeling returned in Prime's air vents. "_Hack'shoo!" _The loud noise made the human children jump out of their skins. They all then stared at him as he wiped his mouth and gruffly sniffled.

Arcee sighed. "...Did that."

"Gesundheit," Lily said with a giggle.

Ratchet examined Optimus and let out an angry sigh. He looked terrible. "This is no doubt the result of your little swim in the Arctic, Optimus. You knew something was wrong and you didn't tell us?!"

Optimus winced at the raised tone. "Easy, Ratchet. My head hurts enough already."

"Yeah, well, it's only going to get worse," Lily remarked. Then they all stared at her. "What?"

"You know of this?" said Ratchet.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what's wrong with Optimus?"

"Well, this morning, I didn't," Lily said as she approached her adopted father, "but just by looking at him, I do now. He's got a cold, or something like it."

"WHAT?!" went the Autobots.

"Relax! It's not going to kill him," Lily explained. "Believe me, I know. I used to get colds all the time when I was human. They suck, but they're definitely not fatal."

"You are certain of this?" asked Ratchet.

Lily frowned. "Did you not just hear me say I used to get colds all the time as a human?"

"Lily's right," said Rafael. "Colds are the most common virus to affect humans, but they can't kill you."

"What are the symptoms?"

"Fevers are rare, but it's mainly runny nose, congestion, coughing, and sneezing."

Lily glanced up at Optimus. "By the looks of it, I'm sure he's got all of them."

"Well, I still need to finish examining him to see just how bad this really is." Ratchet then morphed his servo into a light pointer. "Open up, Optimus," he said. "I need to see how much 'congestion' is built up in your systems." Optimus seemed as bit reluctant and embarrassed to because the humans were right next to Ratchet, but he knew he was in no position to go against Ratchet's orders. He slowly opened his mouth as wide as he could, allowing Ratchet to peer into his throat, shining the light all around. He could clearly large clumps of Energon-slime forming in his throat and along the inner walls of his mouth. "Hmm, yes. There are traces of Energon-sludge within your systems, but it doesn't appear too serious right now."

"_Energon-sludge_?" said Raf.

"I guess that's like snot for us," Miko whispered.

Out of nowhere, Prime had that tingling feeling in his air vents again. _**"...HAA'kshuuh!" **_

They all stared in shock, but not as shocked as Optimus Prime. He was horrified at the sight of the Energon-sludge that had flown from his mouth when he sneezed—splattered all over Ratchet. "R-Ratchet...!" Optimus stammered, blushing madly. "I-I sincerely apologize! I did not mean to...I was..._Ohhh_..." Completely embarrassed, he hid his face in his hands and hunched over.

Miko laughed. "Ratchet just got sprayed!" Kylie nudged her again and pointed Optimus, glaring. Miko then stopped laughing when she saw the humiliation written across his face, even though he was hidden in his hands.

Lily felt sorry for Optimus and went to him, patting his arm. "It's okay, Papa. It happens."

Ratchet wiped away the sludge and washed his face with a rag. "Well, I'll tell you this, that _this _has most definitely never happened before!"

"You're kidding," said Jack. "You guys don't ever get sick?"

"_We do, but on very rare occasions," _Bumblebee bleeped.

"Bee's right," said Arcee. "We don't really have the kind of viruses on Cybertron as you do here on Earth, but any Cybertronian is vulnerable to any kind of virus; computer, or otherwise." To emphasize her point, Optimus abruptly went into a coughing fit.

When he was finished, a puddle of sludge sat in the palm of his hand. "Ughh..." He felt so disgusted in himself that he couldn't even bear to look at it.

"Yeah, it's best if you don't cough or sneeze into your hands, Father," said Lily.

Optimus wiped his mouth with his clean hand while he gruffly sniffled. "Then...what am I supposed to cough or sneeze into?"

Lily looked up to Ratchet. "Uncle Ratchet, you wouldn't happen to have any Autobot-sized tissues, would you?"

"Of course, not!" Ratchet said.

"Wow. You have everything BUT tissues? What kind of medic are you?" Miko scoffed. Ratchet scowled but Miko paid no mind to it.

"I've got a bunch of old blankets back at home," said Rafael. "I could bring them here and use those as tissues."

"Thank you Ra..._Hack'shuh!_...Rafael," Optimus sneezed and sniffled.

"Prime!" came Agent Fowler's voice.

Optimus was ready to get up and answer the call when Ratchet forced him to stay down and the others raced over. "What is it, Fowler?" asked Arcee.

"Where's Prime?" Fowler asked.

"Uh...well, my father is..." Lily began.

"_HAA'schuuh!"_

"...currently unavailable," Lily finished.

"Wait...you mean, he's _sick_?" Fowler asked with a baffled look on his face.

"Something like that," Bulkhead mumbled.

Fowler couldn't help but laugh. "What's he got this time? Cyber-flu, or a fuel tank bug?"

"A cold," Lily simply said.

A look on Fowler's face that said 'I'm stupid' was his only reply.

"What's the problem this time?" said Raf.

"The Cons are up to no good again, only this time, further east," Fowler explained, and he pulled up an image of a large oil rig on the water.

"The _Berkut _oil rig off the Russian Pacific coast," Raf said after examining the picture.

"_What's that?"_ Bumblebee bleeped.

"So far, the world's largest oil rig."

"But what would the Cons want with our oil?" asked Miko.

"The same reason they pillaged the mines of Burma," said Arcee. "An alternate energy source while Energon is running low."

"And if they destroy that rig, it will cause an oil spill that will consume the entire northern Pacific!" Fowler exclaimed.

"We cannot allow that to happen," Optimus said as he stood up with a sniffle. "Autobots...transform and..._Haa'tchooo!" _It was a sneeze powerful enough to shake the ceiling lights, and shift a few objects around. Prime groaned and rubbed his head, at least thankful that no sludge was ejected from his mouth.

"And, nothing," said Lily, pointing at the berth. "You are going to sit in that berth until you get better!"

"But—"

"I agree with Lily, Optimus," said Ratchet. "You are in no condition to fight. It's best if you remain here and rest." Optimus searched for a way to defend himself, but coming up with nothing, he sat back down on the berth in defeat.

"We'll be fine, Papa," Lily said and kissed his flushing cheek plate. "Ooh, you're getting warm. Best if you don't move around so much and stay in bed."

Ratchet activated the bridge once he locked in the coordinates of the oil rig. "Bulkhead, I'd like you to remain here."

The wrecker turned to Ratchet while Lily, Arcee and Bumblebee raced through. "Why me?"

"I'll need you to catch him in case he decides to face plant." Ratchet looked down to the human children. "And lacking the knowledge on how to deal with a 'cold', I may need some tips from the four of you."

"No problem," said Raf. "Just keep him warm and give him plenty of fluids."

"Yeah! You got any soup?" Miko said.

"Soup?" Ratchet raised an optic ridge.

"...Okay. Any large blankets?" asked Jack.

"You really think they'd make blankets for a super large robot?" Miko scoffed.

"You thought they had tissues!"

Kylie tugged on Rafael's sleeve and pointed to the monitor. "Good thinking, Kyles. We could ask Fowler to loan a parachute for Optimus to use as a blanket."

"...You got all that just by reading her eyes?" Miko said.

Kylie faintly giggled with a soft shrug.

* * *

><p><strong>yep, some quiet people do have a lot to say ^^ hopefully, you guys are anxious to know what happens next? QuQ<br>**


	5. Chapter 5

"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

* * *

><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

**Transformers © Hasbro**

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

**(no flames, pretty please. If you don't like, THEN DON'T READ)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

A ground-bridge opened on the shores of Russia near a large shipping dock. Starscream and a few Seekers stepped through and remained hidden behind nearby trees so no humans were aware of their existence—at least, not yet.

Starscream peered through the branches and watched numerous workers board a transport ship. "That vessel must be heading to the oil rig," he said. "We must get aboard without being discovered."

"Permit me, Commander Starscream," said one of the Seekers with him, "if we are trying to get to the oil rig, why didn't we just bridge ourselves there?"

"Because then we would have been spotted and security would wreak havoc upon us, and our plans will be foiled," Starscream growled. "We need to get aboard that vessel so we can sneak onto the oil rig and take control from there. And once we have seized control, we will call in the rest of our armada and take the oil all for ourselves!"

"I honestly do not see the difference," another Seeker said.

"I do. I did a little research on the Russians before we headed out. They are quite handy with their armory." A fog horn rang out. "Quickly, we must board!"

~5 minutes later~

The Autobots' ground bridge opened, and Arcee, Bumblebee and Lily jumped out, landing on the wet shoreline. Lily glanced out at sea and saw the distant lights of a ship. "Aw, we missed the ferry!"

"And I have a feeling the Decepticons are aboard that one," Arcee said and Bumblebee whirred in agreement. "There's got to be another way for us to get to the _Berkut._"

"How? We gonna ride our way over to it?"

"You got any better ideas, Bumblebee?" The scout shrugged. "Alright, then. Lily, do you know when's the next ferry?"

"It takes about an hour to get to the oil rig, and just as long getting back. We'd never make it, and the Decepticons would have already won," Lily explained with a groan.

"Great," Arcee grunted. "We could really use Optimus right now."

"We are _not _getting him involved in this," Lily said. "He needs to stay back at base and rest."

"I know, I know."

Bumblebee let out a clicking chuckle. _"I wonder how he's doing. He's probably enjoying not having to get out and fight."_

Lily rested a hand over her spark and slightly frowned. "I don't know why, Bumblebee, but I doubt that."

* * *

><p>"<em>Ahh'chooo!"<em>

Optimus sneezed for the twelfth time within the last three minutes. He shivered under the parachute that Agent Fowler loaned the Autobots. It wasn't the best insulator, but it was definitely better than nothing. He could feel his mouth slowly beginning to fill with the sludge that congested his systems, and it sickened him that he was reduced to swallowing it until Raf, Kylie and Bulkhead returned with the blankets Raf promised.

Prime groaned as the sneeze caused his mind-processor to ache and he rubbed his temples, gruffly sniffling.

"Gesundheit!" he heard Jack shout from the main hangar.

"Ugh...Thadk you, Jack," Optimus spoke in a hoarse tone. His throat suddenly became all tickly again and the urge to cough crept up on him, and right after he finished speaking he went into a coughing fit. He was completely stuffed up, unable to speak normally. His voice was altered from the scratchiness in his throat and he sounded ridiculous. He felt his cheek plates burning up, and he's been told numerous times to the point of annoyance that he looked flushed. A little patch of red was even visible in the middle of his face plate, right where a nose would be. If Raf hadn't informed him and Ratchet that some colds have additional symptoms, they'd have both been worried.

Ratchet entered Prime's quarters with his medical kit. "How you holding up so far?" he asked.

Optimus looked at him as if he had asked a stupid question, but he answered nonetheless. "I thidk I ab doig fide."

"You sure don't sound it," Ratchet chortled. He could see Optimus's red and blue armor were a bit paler, and the Energon-blueness in his eyes were a bit greyer. "Neither do you look it."

"I appreciate you rubbig it id, Ratchet," Optimus grumbled then sneezed again. "_Aat'choo!" _

Ratchet was thankful that no sludge went flying anywhere, especially on him. "Hang in there, Optimus. Bulkhead, Kylie and Raf are on their way back now with the blankets."

"Alright." Optimus shivered and coughed again, then groaned as if he were in pain.

"Easy, Prime," Ratchet said as he rested a hand on Prime's shoulder. "Maybe you should try laying down. You look exhausted."

"I've tried," Optimus groaned with sniffle, feeling another sudden tingle in his air vents, "but every tibe I've tried, I ed up ha..._haah_...havig...t-_tuh_-to s-s-_suuh, __**Haat'chooo! **_Ugh...sdeeze."

Ratchet couldn't help but laugh, but he didn't want his friend feeling anymore humiliated than he already was. "It'll be alright. With rest, you should get better within a few days."

Optimus fought the urge to itch his air vents and sighed. "I do dot dow if I cad hadle stayig id bed for a few days. I deed to be with by teab."

"Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee will be just fine," Ratchet informed him. "If they need an assist, I'll send Bulkhead or call for Wheeljack. You, however, are not fit for duty. No matter what happens, you will remain here." Optimus sighed again then wearily glanced at the floor, understanding Ratchet's meaning, but also unhappy about it.

"We're back!" came Raf's voice. He, Bulkhead, and Kylie came in carrying armloads, and handfuls in Bulkhead's case, of blankets. "We brought back as much as Bulkhead's trunk could hold."

Ratchet took the blankets from them and handed them to Optimus. "Thadk you, Rafael," he said, immediately using one of the blankets to wipe his mouth and spit excess sludge into it.

"And since they're blankets and not regular tissues, they can be reused. We just need to throw the used ones into a washer," explained Bulkhead.

"Oh, yes, that will be an advantage," Ratchet said with a chuckle, glancing over at Optimus, who now appeared very exhausted. "You should rest. You need it."

Optimus slowly shook his helm so he wouldn't cause another mind-processor ache. "Do...I ab fide...I do dot deed rest right dow," he said, fighting an oncoming yawn. He felt something warm touch his foot and glanced down to see Kylie looking at him with a worried expression on her face; her eyes seemed to beg him to rest. He weakly smiled and sighed. "Oh...alright, thed. I will rest." Ratchet helped him lean back as he started to yawn. "But...odly for...a little...while..." Not long after, he had fallen asleep, breathing deeply through his mouth, a faint rattling heard due to the sludge in his throat.

Ratchet smiled as he quietly urged Bulkhead and the small human children out. "He's finally asleep?" asked Jack from the couch as he and Miko finish a game.

"Indeed," Ratchet said, "and I am certain it will be a while before he wakes up."

"Hope so," Miko grumbled, "because _Sneezy-mus Prime_ cost me three tournaments, and I was winning!"

Kylie slightly glared, faintly groaning with displeasure.

"Kylie's right, Miko," said Raf. "Optimus can't help it. He doesn't have a nose like we do, so he can't suppress it."

"Oh, yeah? Then how does he sniffle?" Miko asked in a smart-alec tone. Raf had no reply and she wore a smug grin. "That is what I thought!"

"Miko," said Ratchet, "I understand that our biology is somewhat different from yours, but despite some noticeable differences, some parts of our bodies work the same as parts of yours."

Almost as if to prove his point, back in his quarters, Optimus felt another tickle in his air vents. Half-asleep and in half panic, his hands searched for the upper parts of the sides of his chest, searching for his air vents. Once he found them, he pressed his hands over them. His breathing hitched for a moment more until he relaxed, and the tingle died down.

**here is chapter 5! ^^**


	6. Chapter 6

"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

* * *

><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

**Transformers © Hasbro**

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

**(no flames, pretty please. If you don't like, THEN DON'T READ)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

Aboard the first ferry ride to the oil rig, the Decepticons remained hidden from the humans in the shadows behind a large stack of crates, careful to stay out of the lights. They had only been 15 minutes out at sea and things were already getting out of hand. And its name was: "motion sickness". Who ever knew that the wicked Decepticons could be affected by such a thing? Apparently not the Decepticons.

While Starscream had managed to keep his reserves down and endure the constant nausea with the roiling of the waves below the ship, the Seekers with him were not so fortunate, dashing for the rail to relieve themselves of their churning reserves.

"This is horrible," Starscream moaned. "This is worse than one of Megatron's training sessions when he uses me for target practice!" He grimaced at the sound of his Seekers retching violently.

One Seeker sitting beside him weakly chuckled. "Well...I'm sure the sick Prime is in worse condition than us. He actually has a virus while we have...uh...what's the term?"

"Sea sickness," Starscream replied, and grimaced again at the sound of his men purging. Then, the Seeker who sat beside him dashed for the rail and heaved up the rest of his reserves. Starscream sighed and leaned his head back, trying to ignore the swirling in his fuel tank. "Are we there yet?"

Back on the shore, the Autobots were still trying to figure out a way to catch up with the Decepticons before they raided the _Berkut. _

"Why not bridge onto the ferry?" asked Lily.

"No, we'll draw attention. We need to approach and attack quietly," said Arcee. "Besides, the ground bridge isn't able to open on a moving object."

"_Well, what about that time with the train when we were transporting that DNGUS thing?" _Bumblebee pointed out.

"It doesn't matter, bridging in is not an option! Should we call Optimus and ask him what he thinks we should do?"

"No way," said Lily. "If he's too sick to even stand, he's too sick to help us in any way on this mission. We're on our own while the humans, Bulkhead and Ratchet are taking care of him." That's when Bumblebee suddenly pointed in the other direction. "What is it, Bee?"

"_I think I see something!" _Bee replied.

Arcee and Lily looked to where he was pointing, and to their surprise, they spy another ferry preparing to dock. "Well, just our luck!" said Arcee.

"It must be a second shipment heading for the oil rig," Lily said. "Come on, let's get closer so we can sneak aboard."

* * *

><p>"<strong>RATCHET!<strong>" Optimus hoarsely shouted from his quarters. "**WHERE IS BY SOUP?!**"

"It's coming!" Ratchet shouted back as he quickly stirred a container of steaming Energon. The medic sighed and shook his head. Ever since Optimus awoke from his nap, he's been in the foulest mood. The littlest things either annoyed or really ticked him off. And he and Bulkhead were the targets for his complaints. They all knew Optimus wouldn't dare take out his frustrations on the human children.

"Well, HURRY IT UP! I'B HUGRY!" the Prime whined then sneezed again. "_Ah, ah...__**HAT'chooo**__!_" A glob of Energon sludge hung from his lip and he growled in annoyance. "**BULKHEAD! I DEED BORE TISSUES!**"

"They're almost done drying, Optimus!" Bulkhead called while he and Miko watched the blankets spin in the dryer. "Sheesh, I can't believe he used up all the blankets already."

"That's what happens when you're sick," said Miko. "When we humans are feeling sick like this, we can wind up using an entire box of tissues! It isn't pretty, though."

"I'll bet," Bulkhead said with a chuckle. When the dryer stopped spinning and beeped, Bulkhead took out the blankets, shook them a little in order to cool them off, and then raced to Optimus's quarters, where the Autobot leader was wetly hacking away, his body trembling with each cough as if he was struggling to force all the air out. Bulk went to his side and handed him the blankets. "Here you are, sir. Sorry they took so long."

Optimus snatched one and wiped his mouth with it while Bulkhead sat the rest beside him on his berth. "Thadk you, Bulkhead," Optimus said in a dry tone, almost with sarcasm.

"You're welcome," Bulkhead nodded. "If you need anything, just let me know." With that he took his leave, and once he left he shook his head, joining Ratchet in the main hangar. "I don't like seeing Optimus this way. It's just...not Optimus."

"Well, the human children did say that this kind of sickness can alter behavior due to irritation and frustration," Ratchet elucidated.

"I know that. I just never expected this." Then the human children joined up by the rail.

"Don't worry, Bulkhead," said Raf. "After a few days' rest, he'll be back to normal."

"I'll admit, it is weird seeing the big guy act this way. It's like his total opposite," said Jack.

Bulkhead chuckled and nodded in agreement, then sees Kylie holding something. "Hey, Kyles, what's that?" Then, Kylie revealed a large, folded up piece of paper.

"Oh, it's a get-well card we're making for Optimus," Miko explained. "It's not done yet, but when it is, we'll be sure it totally wows him!"

"That's sweet of you," Bulkhead smiled. "It's very colorful. I'm sure he'll love it."

"**RATCHET!**"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ratchet yelled back and poured the container of steaming Energon into a metallic bowl.

"What is that?" Rafael asked.

"Soup to make Optimus feel better," Ratchet said. "At least, I hope."

"Soup usually helps," said Jack. "That and lots of rest."

"What's it taste like?" asked Miko.

"Too many concoctions to name, unfortunately," Ratchet grumbled as he headed off to Optimus's room, where the leader sat impatiently, giving Ratchet a cold glare with his dulled optics.

"It's about tibe, Ratchet," he grouched.

"You're welcome, Mr. Spoiled Rotten," Ratchet grouched back as he handed Optimus a spoonful of the soup. "Open."

The grouchy Prime then veered his head away and folded his arms over his congested chest. "Doh! You bade be wait too log. I'b dot hugry adybore."

"What?!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Optimus Prime, as your friend and medic, I order you to eat this soup. It will make you feel better." Optimus sniffed the boiling concoction and gagged. "Oh, real mature. Now eat up. You need it."

"I'b dot hugry! I told you!"

"Optimus..."

"DOH!"

At this point, Ratchet had finally lost his patience. "Fine then. You want to sit here and act like a sparkling, go ahead. But I'm not gonna waste my time listening to your crude attitude, sick or not!" He then lifted the bowl of soup and marched out.

Optimus's optics widened as he watched Ratchet leave. "H-Hey! Where are you goig with by soup?!"

"I thought you weren't hungry. And I'm going to dispose of it, since you don't want it."

"I do wat it!"

"Nope, you said you weren't hungry."

"Ratchet...!"

"Nope. Sorry. Too late. Besides, bratty bots like yourself don't deserve this. You wanna be a grouch, you can get well all on your own." As Ratchet made his way down the hall, his audio receptors picked up the sound of sniffling. But not as if to clear a nose from congestion; as if someone was crying. He also heard whimpers now. And he knew where those sounds were coming from. Sighing and setting the soup bowl on the ground in the hall, he headed back towards Optimus's berth room to find a heart-breaking sight: Optimus Prime, the great leader of the Autobots, was now hunched over, his face buried in his hands and was sobbing, dulled tears slipping through his digits, and his body quivered with each stuffy sob.

Ratchet shook his head and went to the Prime, sitting beside him and rubbing his back. "Hey, now, it's okay. I don't entirely blame you for your behavior, Optimus."

Optimus slowly lifted his face from his hands and wiped away his tears with his knuckles. "I-I'b s-sorry that I'b tre-eatig y-you like this," he trembled. "I-I just...t-t-this feeling...I dod't l-like it...I-It hurts a-ad it's s-scratchy ad itchy ad...yucky!" Ratchet had to stifle a giggle, never thought he'd be hearing Optimus say something like "yucky". His old friend then sneezed loudly and quivered as another thick bit of Energon sludge hung off his chin. Ratchet grabbed a tissue and wiped his mouth, as well as his eyes and cheeks.

"I understand, this is rough for you," Ratchet said sympathetically. "You've never really been in a situation like this before...and I know some things, you can't help with or can't control...but know that we're here for you, but don't lug us around like we're your servants. We're your friends, your family. Not your slaves."

Optimus sniffled and wiped his eyes like a little youngling. "I-I doh...I'b sorry..." Then he looked up to Ratchet with pleading optics. "Cad I have by soup back, dow?"

"Sure," Ratchet smiled and went to fetch the soup he left in the hall. "You need any help eating? I mean, since you're such a little sparkling."

Optimus then snatched the spoon out of his hand. "I cad feed byself, Ratchet! I'b dot a sparklig!" he spat.

_You sure about that? _Ratchet thought to himself and watched Optimus scarf down the soup.

* * *

><p><strong>here be chapter 6! Sorry it took so long to update. Had major writers' block and lots of schoolwork to do. I'll try to upload ch. 7 as soon as I can. Please be sure to read and review. Many thanks! ^^<strong>


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